Machine for making insulated telegraph-wires



4 Sheets-Sheet I..

(No Model.)

T; J. MAYALL. MACHINE FOB, MAKlNG INSULATED TBLEGRAPH WIRES No. 243,783.

vPatented July 5, i881.

Illllll N, PUERS. Pnamumogmphar. wnshmgmn. D. c.

4 Sheets--Sheetv 2.

(No Model.)

T; J'. MAYALL. MACHINE FOR MAKING INSULATED I' No. 248,783.

BLEGRAPH WIRES. Patented July 5.. 1881.

'.III lil. I

(No Model.) 4-Sheets-Sl1eet 3. T. J. MAYALL.

MACHINE POR MAKING INSULATED TELEGRAPH WIRES. No. 243,788.

Patented July 5, 1881.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

T J MAYALL MACHINE FOR MAKING INSULATED TBLBGRAPH WIRES.

Patented July 5,1881.

' the machine.

NiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE@L THOMAS J. MAYALL, OF READING, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR MAKiNc INSULATi-:D TELEcRAPH-wmas.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,783, dated July .5, 1881. Application filed May 7, 1881. Y (No model.)

T o all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J. MAYALL, of Reading,in the county oi'MiddleseX and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful machine for inclosing a gang of wires for telegraph purposes in a strap or band of insulating material, of which the following is a specification.

The strap or band in which I. inclose and iusulate any number of telegraph-wires from two to twenty, or even more, if occasion requires, is made of a compound ot' rubber and graphite, with a portion ot' sulphur sufficient to aid in curing or vulcanizing the compound, thoroughly commingled and blended together ina plastic mass by grinding or other suitable means. This compound is runout into sheets of one-half the thickness required for the band when finished with the wires in it. These. sheets are cut into strips ofthe width required for the band, and the strips are cemented end to end together to make a length convenient. The strips are then covered on one side with muslin and wound up on a large spool, the use ofthe muslin being t'o prevent the strip from sticking together as it is wound up on the spool. A gang ot wires are laid parallel to each other at equal distances apart, and a strip ofthe rubber and graphite compoundlaid on both sides of the wires and pressed tof gether with the wires between them with just sufiicientforcc to weld the two strips into one homogeneous whole band with the wires in the middle of it. A

rI he object of the'machine described below, and illustrated in the drawings annexed, is to form the band of rubber and graphite compound with the wires in the middle of it, laid at equal distances apart and parallel to each other.

In the drawings annexed, Figure lis a side view, in partial perspective, of the machine. Fig. 2 isa similar view ofthe opposite side of Fig. Sis a lon gitndinal sectional View on a line through the center of the machine. Fig. 4 shows an automatic arrangement for stopping the machine in case one of the wires is broken or gets displaced, consisting of a series of arms having one end pivoted on the frame ofthe machine and the other end bent downward over the rolls a9,and with forked a4 is the upper pressure-roller.

ends, each arm riding a wire... If the wire breaks, the arm iscarried down by its weight and by a 'spring acting in the same direct-ion, and by its descent releases a lever with a weight on it, which unships the clutch which imparts the motion of the driving-pulley a' to its shaft and the gear a3. Fig. 5 shows a transverse section of a spool of wire. Fig. 6 shows the end ofa spool. Fig. 7 shows a side view of the pressure rolls, a portion ot' the rubber ycompound strips, thethroat. through `which the strips pass to the pressure-rolls,and the guide for the wires, for the rubber compound strip. Fig. 9 is a front view of the series of arms shown in Fig.

l4f, and their connection with a lever and weight Fig. 8 is an empty spool' a is the driving-pulley andthe shaft on which it is fixed. a2 isa pinion on the shaft a' matching into the main driving-gear ot'- the machine. a3 is the main driving-gear of the machine, set in motion by the pinion a? and moving all the working parts, and the shaftfon which itis fixed, which is also the lower pressure-roller.

o5 is the trimming-roller, over .which the band of rubber compound passes, and on which it .is cut to uniform width; a, two revolving rcutters placed 011 a shaft the distance apart requiredfor Jthe width of the band, the edges on the circumference just touching, but not bearing upon. the roll a5, and trimming both edges of the band as it passes between them when the muchine is in operation; al, two guide-pins, between which the band passes between the rolls a3 and c4 and the trimmingroll a5, to keep the band in its proper position. a8 is a pulley on the shaft of a3, over which a belt passes to drive the receiving-spool; a, a pairof rolls between which the wires pass, one of which has circumferential grooves, one for each wire, to keep it in its proper relative position.

cis a throat through which the wires and the two strips of rubber compound pass to the pressure-rolls a3 and a4; c', the wires 5 c2, a transverse bar with openings through it at equal distances apart, through which the wires loo pass; ,03, the strips of rubber and 'graphite compound unwinding from the spools and passing, with the wires, through the throat to the pressure-rolls a3 and a4; c, the strip of muslin separated from the strip of rubber and l passing to the spools, on which it is wound to be removed and used again c5, the receivingspools to take up the muslin as it is separated from the strips of rubber, and pulleys attached to and moving the spools, having a rubber face, which engages the teeth of the gear a3, and take motion from it by friction. c5 also indicates a binding-roll over the roll of the spool which takes up the strip of muslin shown in Fig. 3; c, spools on which the rubber-compound-strip and the muslin strip are wound up together; c7, a guide or supporting roll for the lower strip ot' rubber compound e8, the rubber-compound band, with the wires in it, after it has passed the pressure-rolls a3 and a, and the trimming-roll and knives a5 and a6. o9 is a box containing powdered talc, through which the band 0B is made to pass by rolls properly arranged for the purpose, the purpose being to change the tacky or sticky condition of the surface of the rubber compound.

e represents three rolls, arranged to carry the band of rubber compound and wires through mass of powdered talc in the box c9 c', two revolving brushes running against two sides ofthe band e8, to remove any surplus of powdered talc adhering to the band; e2, rolls guiding and giving tension to a strip of tinfoil; e3, a spool for tin-foil and a strip of tinfoil on it, and passing downward by the'rolls e2; e4, a receiving-spool, upon which the band o8 and the tin-foil e3 are wound together, the purpose of the tin-foil being to keep the layers of the band a8 from adhering together; e5, a pulley ou the shaft of the spool e4; e, a belt running over the pulleys a8 and e5, (and shown in dotted lines,) giving motion to the spool e4; el, main driving-belt running over pulley a',- eB, pulver-ized talc in box 09 e9, upper side of band c broken out to show the wires init.

t' t" 2 fgrepresentan arrangementof Weights, levers, and fulcrums to press spool o5 up against roll c7 to wind the muslin smoothly on the spool. A similar arrangement is shown in connection with the upper spool, which takes up the upper strip of muslin,and is marked i4; i5, spools of wire; t6, bar with openings for the wires to pass through 7,- t'B, clutch engaging the pulley rt; t9, lever by which clutch is is moved.

The several spools ofwire, rubber, and graphite compound stripslined with muslin, tin-foil, and the receiving-spool having been properly placed, and the wire and rubbercompound strips being entered and conducted between and bythe pressure-rolls, the machine will be moved slowly until the band chas passed by the rollers e, through the boX e9, ah djoined with the tin-foil on the receiving-spool e4, when the motion may proceedregularl y, and the band c, will be deposited finished, ready for curing, on the receivingespool. as c5 and e3, will have a capacity to run out a strip of the band o8 as long as can be conveniently handled. These spools are arranged to be quickly removed and others put in their places when a length of the band is completed.

This machine is so constructed that it can be adapted to make a band ofalmost any number of wires-required-the greaterthe number the wider the band; and the thickness ot' the band may also be increased or diminished as may be desirable.

I claim as new and my invention-`rl` 1. The above-described machine for inclosing telegraph -wires in a band of insulating material, consisting ot' a supporting-frame, driving-pulley, shaft and gears, pressure-rollers, spools, guide-bar, and guideLrolls for the wire, trimmingmoll and cutters, box for powdered talc, and conducting-rolls, with levers, weights, and arms, and automatic arrangement for stopping the movement, all substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine fer inclosing telegraph-wires in aband of insulating compound materia-ls, in combination, the spools c5, c, e3 and e, the rolls a3 a4 a5 a9 e 62,'the pulleys 0,8 e5, and the cutters as, all made and arranged in the machine in relation to it substantially as set forth, and for the purposes specified.

THOS. J. MAYALL.

Witnesses:

Ons. HoUGHroN, H. KENNEY, Jr.

The spools c6 and e, as well- 

